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SINGAPORE: The Workers' Party's (WP) gambit of fielding its top candidates in Aljunied GRC is not meant to force on residents an “emotional dilemma”, but to offer them the choice of having the best slate of Opposition voices in Parliament to act as a check on the Government, said party secretary-general Low Thia Khiang.

The party's “Dream Team” on Friday night addressed voters for the first time at ground zero of what is shaping up to be the hottest battle of this General Election, and Mr Low said the WP was “going for broke” in order to snare a GRC “for the future of democracy in Singapore”.

The long-time MP for Hougang – who left the safe haven of his single-seat ward to lead the WP's “Dream Team” in Aljunied, and has vowed to refuse the Non-Constituency MP seat should he lose – refuted his opponent Foreign Minister George Yeo's remark that the WP's move went “against the spirit of democracy” as it forced the 143,148 voters of Aljunied to choose between looking after their own interests and pushing the larger Opposition cause.

Mr Low, 55, retorted that “nothing is more against the spirit of democracy than the GRC (system)”, a system which is in the People's Action Party's (PAP) self-interest.

He cited the example of the PAP's last-minute induction of Dr Chia Shi-Lu, who became an MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC via a walkover. Since being introduced in 1988, after vote swings against the PAP saw two Opposition members enter Parliament, the GRC system has become “like a rubber band, quite elastic”, growing from three members per GRC to a maximum of six, Mr Low noted.

He told the crowd: “Let me tell you, if no Opposition is able to break through a GRC, you will be forever shackled under the system. The power to vote will be just symbolic and your voice will be limited.”

Mr Chen, 50, said Aljunied voters should not have to bear the burden of looking after the Opposition's larger interest and – borrowing Mr Yeo's words – exhorted them to look after themselves like everybody else.

“Don't worry about the Workers' Party. How can you make your life better? Please, go ahead, don't be shy.”

He urged them to ask themselves if they were better off compared to five years ago, or more hopeful for the future. Did they believe, with the WP providing competition in Parliament, they would get better policies? To the last, Mr Chen declared: “I am sure of it.”

Ms Lim said she could understand that some Aljunied voters might be worried that casting their votes for the WP could mean losing a good minister in Mr Yeo, and that his talents might be lost to Singapore.

But, she pointed out, even if Mr Yeo were defeated at the polls he would still have a “bright future” – as the chairman of a government-linked organisation or an ambassador-at-large like Professor Tommy Koh, perhaps.

“So don't think of voting for the WP as voting against George Yeo. Think of it as helping him into early retirement,” she said, drawing chuckles from the crowd.

Mr Singh, 34, meanwhile likened star football players to ministers – Manchester United did not collapse without Wayne Rooney, for instance.

Ms Lim also took issue with Mr Yeo's criticism of the WP. Disturbed by how the party had described voters as their “secret weapon”, the PAP minister had said: “I would not use them as though they are instruments to be chosen or discarded.”

Said Ms Lim, 46, last night: “If the PAP really respects voters' needs and wishes, why does it keep re-drawing boundaries after every election based on the voting results?

“Why don't we ask the voters in Kaki Bukit who have not moved house for 25 years but have been kicked around from Eunos GRC to Marine Parade and now Aljunied? Who is the one using the voters as instruments to be chosen and discarded?” –

PHANOM DONG RAK, Thailand : Thai and Cambodian troops opened a new front Tuesday in their deadliest fighting in recent history, despite mounting diplomatic pressure to end clashes that have left 13 dead.

Tens of thousands of civilians have been forced to flee their homes on both sides as heavy weapons fire pounded the jungle frontier, shattering a fragile ceasefire that had held since February.

The two armies exchanged fire Tuesday near the 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple, which has been the focus of strained relations between the neighbours since it was granted UN World Heritage status in 2008.

Fighting erupted near the ruins at 1:30 pm (0630 GMT) and lasted for 30 minutes, said Thai army spokesman Colonel Prawit Hookaew.

“They fired artillery and mortar and we retaliated,” he said.

Cambodia blamed Thailand for starting the clash.

The fighting took place 150 kilometres (90 miles) east of two other disputed temple complexes that have been the scene of hostilities which have left at least 13 soldiers dead since Friday.

In February 10 people were killed near the Preah Vihear temple, prompting a UN appeal for a permanent ceasefire.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Monday urged Thailand and Cambodia to show restraint and said Washington was “deeply concerned”.

She said that the United States had engaged directly with Thai and Cambodian officials in hopes of ending the violence, without providing further details.

The neighbours agreed in late February to allow observers from Indonesia into the area near Preah Vihear.

But the Thai military has since said the monitors are not welcome and they have not been deployed.

Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya said on Tuesday that Bangkok would review its policy towards Cambodia including trade, border checkpoints and cooperation at all levels, but would not sever diplomatic ties.

Kasit is due to hold talks with Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, whose country is the current chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations regional bloc, on Thursday in Jakarta.

“Thailand will inform him that Thailand agrees to international observers but Cambodian troops must withdraw from Preah Vihear,” Thai government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn said.

The World Court ruled in 1962 that the temple belonged to Cambodia, but both countries claim ownership of a 4.6-square-kilometre (1.8-square-mile) surrounding area.

A total of eight Cambodian soldiers and five Thai troops have died in the latest fighting further west along the border, while another Cambodian soldier is missing.

Thailand said nearly 26,000 people had been evacuated on its side of the border and were being housed in 22 shelters. Three districts — Phanom Dong Rak, Kap Choeng and Prasat — have been declared emergency areas.

More than 22,000 people have been displaced by the fighting on the Cambodian side, authorities have said.

Apisan Boonpradub, director of Thailand's Phanom Dong Rak hospital, said 65 Thai soldiers have been injured so far but no civilians have been wounded.

“The majority of them were hurt from the impact of explosions. Most of the patients we are treating at the moment were injured in the fighting,” he said.

Cambodia has accused Thailand of using spy planes and poisonous gas in the recent fighting — which Bangkok has strongly denied.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on Monday said he hoped the border situation would improve before he meets his Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen at a regional summit on May 7-8.

SINGAPORE: The Singapore Malay National Organisation (PKMS), a component party of the Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA), on Tuesday warned it would expel any member who submit nomination to contest in Tanjong Pagar GRC.

The party stressed that it would not endorse any member contesting in Tanjong Pagar GRC – be it as an Independent Candidate or as a member of another party.

The latest comments come a day after one of its members – Abdul Malik Mohammed Ghazali – issued an unauthorised media statement on behalf of the opposition team, who had intended to contest in Tanjong Pagar GRC.

The statement said the opposition, which includes members from SDA and PKMS Secretary-General Nazem Suki, was unable to contest in Tanjong Pagar GRC due to a shortage of funds.

The SDA clarified that it was not an issue of funds but a matter of accountability.

It said the main reason the SDA is not contesting in the ward is because it does not want to appear as a party which only wants to contest for the sake of doing so.